Perception of managers and nurses about the organization of care flow in the health services network

Abstract

This article analyzes how health managers and workers organize the care flow of users when there is a need to share care between different levels of health care. This is a qualitative research based on semi-structured interviews with five managers and six nurses of the ESF – Estratégia Saúde da Família (Family Health Strategy) in a municipality of the state of Bahia. The results indicate a reduction in the direct search for hospitals, the strengthening of the ESF as the main entry to diagnoses and the fundamental participation of the community health worker in the organization of care flows. However, there is insufficient computerization of the health units and bureaucratic determination of deadlines for specialized services, carried out by the specialized procedures regulation central, without coordination of the primary health care team. The organization of care flow is hampered by the incipience of the health care network and by absence of inter professional communication tools.